Footnotes Issue #60: June 18th, 2012
Solar Having its Best Year Ever
Solar is on track to have its best year ever here in the US, with nearly double the megawatts installed last year (3,300MW this year versus 1,700MW last year). To hit 20 percent of our electricity from solar by 2030, we need to be installing about 13,500MW annually, so we still have a ways to go, but the trend is all in the right direction. This year will likely also be the year that more solar came on line than coal, first time ever in the history of American civilization. Most of the growth was in commercial installations (289 MW) compared to residential installations (94 MW) and utility installations (123 MW).
This new report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), which looks at the market growth for solar every quarter, is full of other interesting news. New Jersey took the top prize for installing 174 MW in the first quarter, even more than California, coming in at 148 MW. Georgia was not in the top half of new installations. According to information presented at the annual Georgia Solar Summit last week, Georgia has about 18 MW installed, which is based on how much has applied for and received state tax credits. The SEIA report notes that for the first quarter of 2012, our neighbors Tennessee came in 5th, North Carolina came in 7th, and Florida 14th in total new installations.
Residential installed prices fell 7.3 percent, commercial installed prices fell 11.5 percent, and utility prices fell 24.7 percent over Q1 2011. The overall blended average installed price fell 17.2 percent year-over-year. The future for solar gets brighter every day!
Georgia Chapter in the News
T-SPLOST news just won't quit! We found ourselves in Politfact twice in the last month, one checked that Georgia's gas tax is one of the lowest in the country, the other looked at the 16+ miles of new road capacity that will be added for every one track mile of light rail. The result? Mostly True.
Sierra Club Meetings
Fundraising Committee, Wednesday, June 27, 7:00 p.m. RAIL, Wednesday, June 25, 7:00 p.m. Wildlands and Wildlife Committee Meeting, Tuesday, July 19, 7:00 p.m. Smart Energy Team Meeting, Monday, July 2, 7:00 p.m. Atlanta Inner City Outings (ICO), off for the summer! |
Upcoming Events
June 21 - Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Biodiesel Station Opens
Celebrate the opening of our new retail biodiesel station
in Atlanta with a ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony. Local and
federal officials, company representatives, oil providers and biodiesel
users throughout the City will be in attendance. Clean Energy Biofuels'
retail station is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities
I-75 Clean Corridor program, seeking to create the longest alternative
fuels corridor in the United States. The retail pump is a partnership
of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and Clean Energy Biofuels. To learn more, click here.
July 10 – Movie Screening: SWITCH
July 12 – Georgia Interfaith Power & Light Hosts PSC Candidate Forum
Two of our five Public Service Commissioners (the folks who make decisions about how electricity is generated in our state) are up for election this year). Come listen to the candidates perspectives on a wide array of issues at Glenn Memorial Church at Emory University from 7-9 p.m. Click here for more information.
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Wildlands and Wildlife Committee Meeting, Tuesday, July 19, 7:00 p.m.
Mike Murdock - Chair, murdock1@mindspring.com